Animal lover becomes the only veterinary nurse on Lewis

A WOMAN has become a remote island’s only veterinary nurse – and her life now resembles telly classic All Creatures Great and Small.

Animal lover Hayley Ford, 21, moved from Gloucestershire to remote Lewis with her parents three years ago.

She’s now become the island’s only qualified veterinary nurse and regularly finds herself treating wounded seals, guillemots…and even whales.

Hayley, who works at the Old Mill Veterinary Practice in Stornoway, is like a real-life James Herriot from the hit BBC series which ran from 1978-1990.

“We treat large animals and we get a lot of wildlife in,” she said. “We have been called out to treat a whale and we had a seal in the practice.

“We get everything and are very busy.”

Recent patients have included an oil- splattered guillemot, a finch that had fallen down a chimney and a seal with a large wound that – sadly – had to be put to sleep.

She also cared for a seal pup that had been found washed up on a beach without its mother.

Fortunately, after some expert care from the practice, it was well enough to be released back into the wild.

To train as a veterinary nurse, Hayley took on a mammoth 350-mile journey to college in Dumfries three times a year.

Hayley moved to Harris and Lewis with her parents after she had finished her A Levels.

She said: “We had just been coming up on holiday for five years and we just really like it here.

“It was quite a change.

“It’s a very close community so you recognise people everywhere.

“You get to know people a lot better, it’s more of a personal service.

“I have always wanted to work with animals and I’ve always wanted to do something medical.”

After arriving at the vet practice for work experience in 2013, Hayley was given a full-time job and worked there until she started her course in September 2014.

Hayley graduated from Scotland’s Rural College with an HND in veterinary nursing with distinction, receiving her qualifications at a ceremony at the University of Glasgow.

Now she is a fully qualified veterinary nurse, Hayley plans on making the island her permanent home.

“I do love being the only vet nurse and really love working here,” she said. “I want to stay.”

Kirsty Young, of Scotland’s Rural College Barony Campus in Dumfries, where Hayley studied, said: “We are very proud to have trained Hayley.”